Hashitate: A Streetscape of Residences Built by Wealthy Shipowners | : Japan in Video

Hashitate, now part of the city of Kaga in Ishikawa Prefecture, formerly thrived as a community of shipowners. Their ships, called “kitamaebune” carried cargoes from the Sea of Japan to Osaka and back during the Edo period (through 1868) and the early part of the subsequent Meiji era. These sailing vessels were unrivaled for their cargo capacity at the time. Owners and captains of the “kitamaebune” used the wealth they gained from this trade to vie with each other in building splendid residences in Hashitate. These continue to line the streets of the area, which has been designated an “important preservation district for groups of traditional buildings.” The residence built by Sakaya Chūbei, a prominent nineteenth-century shipowner, is now open to the public as “Kitamaebune no Sato Shiryōkan,” a period museum. Details like the pine beams spanning the grand hall and the wooden doors made from single panels of Akita cedar bespeak the prosperity of the original owner. (Created in cooperation wit